Fans Told The List Their Favorite Type Of Perfume Scent - Exclusive Survey

Have you ever walked past something and suddenly remembered a deep memory you forgot you had? Maybe the scent of freshly baked cookies reminds you of your grandmother, or even the slightest whiff of tequila brings back flashes of that one really crazy party your junior year of college. According to The Harvard Gazette, scent is a powerful sense that can unlock memories and evoke powerful emotions. Even most of the flavors you experience when you eat are actually coming from the scent of the ingredients. Our brains rely on our olfactory nerves to keep us safe and healthy, avoiding things that smell bad and searching for things that smell good, per Psychology Today.

One way to make sure you're always smelling good is with perfume. Perfume has been around for centuries, used by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans in different ceremonies and rituals. But when Paris became the perfume capital of the world in 1190, the desire to smell good spread quickly and became one of the world's most popular industries (via Perfume).

Nowadays, there are so many different types of scents to choose from, even celebrities like Ariana Grande have released their own fragrance lines. Before your next shopping spree to Bath and Body Works, it might be a good idea to decide which type of scent you're looking for. To find out which perfume is completely taking over in 2022, The List conducted a survey that asked 573 people, "Which is the best type of perfume scent?" 

According to The List's survey, the fan favorite scent is... fresh! With almost 30% of the overall vote, the simple and clean scent is perfect when you're looking for a refreshing perfume that smells like you just came straight out of the dryer. Per Perfume Society, fresh scented perfumes are cooling, and uplifting, with subtle notes of herbs.

Floral perfumes came in second place with 24.08% of the vote, a stronger scent than fresh scented perfumes. Some of the most popular floral scents are lavender, jasmine, and rose (via FragranceX). About 21% of people prefer citrus/fruity scents, a more vibrant aroma that fully embraces the zesty sweetness of fruits such as oranges, lemons, and bergamot.

Woody fragrances such as sandalwood and patchouli have risen in popularity in recent years, earning 16.06% of the vote. Just over 5.5% of people said their favorite scent is spicy, a familiar aroma that usually has notes of cinnamon, pepper, and cloves, per Fragrantica. In last place was gourmand with only 3.49% of the vote. According to The Perfume Shop, gourmand is a vibrant type scent that is so sweet and strong it smells practically edible, with perfumes ranging from cotton candy to vanilla and coffee.

When you're deciding on a signature scent, consider how the fragrance will balance with your natural scent and any other fragrant products you may use on a daily basis. You want to find a complimentary perfume that will enhance your natural smells, which some scientists believe can actually be used to "attract a mate." While there are definitely scents that make women more attractive to men, some studies show that your natural scent may be your best bet.

Scientists Manfred Milinski and Claus Wedekind conducted a study that analyzed how people responded to natural body scents, and found that people with different genetic immune systems were most attracted to each other's body odor, seemingly able to sniff out which partner would be the "best match" when producing offspring. Nature reports that when two people who have different immune systems procreate, their children "would have a broader immune response, and a better chance of fighting off pathogens." In a way, our noses can detect when a person will be a good life partner.

While there is still so much to understand about how our body responds to certain scents, having a good-smelling partner is always a plus. You may even want to add "needs to smell good" to your dating requirements. You know... for science.